Tuesday, April 25, 2000 |

Attorney Sues Over Directory Listing Under 'Reptiles'

By DANIEL YI, Times Staff Writer

SANTA ANA--A Fullerton attorney has filed a libel lawsuit against a yellow-pages directory company, alleging that she was erroneously listed under "Reptiles."

Linda K. Ross states in her suit that the error has become fodder for jokes in newspapers, on TV shows and for comedians such as Jay Leno.

Ross, who is seeking $100,000 in damages, says the error has held her up to disrespect and contempt. "She is subject to a great many joke and hostile phone calls, hissing sounds as she walks by and other forms of ridicule," according to the document, filed Thursday in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana.

The lawsuit states that GTE Directories Sales Corp. published at least one yellow-pages directory last year that listed Ross under the wrong heading. GTE officials could not be reached for comment.

http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20000425/t000038734.html

-- - (x@xxx.cQm), April 28, 2000

Answers

File this under

LA WYER JOKES

-- (nemesis@awol.com), April 28, 2000.

This one just cracked me up!!!! Pretty funny.

-- nowherenow (suzy@nowherenow.com), April 28, 2000.

Since when is truth in advertising a crime?

-- Gia (laureltree7@hotmail.com), April 29, 2000.

Well, she's in the right state--lawsuitville

-- x (x@x.x), April 29, 2000.

What a shame she doesn't have a better sense of humor. I think if she had laughed WITH everyone, she wouldn't feel like everyone was laughing AT her. She might have even parlayed it into an appearance on The Tonight Show.

A wonderful opportunity for hundreds of thousands of dollars of free publicity shot. Now, she just comes off as an ill tempered lawsuit happy lawyer.

Greybeard 7

-- Greybeard7 (Wolverine_in_nc@hotmail.com), April 29, 2000.

I received this from a friend who works in a law office. Apparently it's a true story...

A defense attorney was cross-examining a police officer during a felony trial - it went like this:

Q. Officer, did you see my client fleeing the scene?

A. No sir, but I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender running several blocks away.

Q. Officer, who provided this description?

A. The officer who responded to the scene.

Q. A fellow officer provided the description of this so- called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?

A. Yes sir, with my life.

Q. With your life? Let me ask you this then officer - do you have a locker room in the police station - a room where you change your clothes in preparation for you daily duties?

A. Yes sir, we do.

Q. And do you have a locker in that room?

A. Yes sir, I do.

Q. And do you have a lock on your locker?

A. Yes sir.

Q. Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, that you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with those same officers?

A. You see sir, we share the building with a court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.

With that, the courtroom erupted in laughter, and a prompt recess was called.

The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's "Best come-back" line, and we think he'll win.

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), April 29, 2000.